Convergence
by lawless
Summary: n. the approach of an infinite series to a finite limit.
1. Chapter 1

__**Convergence**

**_by lawless_  
**

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**__DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Bryke is god.**

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_"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."_

**Nelson Mandela**

Lin Beifong took one last look at her office before she switched off the light and stepped out into the night. A cool wind was blowing, ruffling the collar of her coat. She shoved her gloved hands into her coat pockets and stood atop the stairs in front of her mother's statue for a moment as though waiting for someone. A second later, a shuffle of thick-soled boots told her she wasn't alone any longer. She turned to her left, eyebrows quirking expectantly.

"Damn, nothing gets past you, huh, Beifong?" A gruff male voice said just as the tall figure of a man in the scarlet uniform of the United Forces emerged from the shadows. Bumi was grinning, teeth showing white against his bronze skin.

Lin gave a small smirk. "Only because you're about as quiet as a sparrowkeet bothered at mealtime."

"Oh-ho! So says the woman who damn near woke everybody up in the neighborhood last night with her howling." Bumi lied brazenly. Almost by instinct, her left fist shot up to pump him hard on the shoulder. He made a pained sound but was otherwise grinning.

Then Lin took the steps down and Bumi fell into step behind her.

She did not know exactly why it started, or how. It began about a week ago, some days after she returned to Republic Cityand resumed her duties with the Metalbending Police. Bumi had arrived earlier and had probably been spending most of that time gallivanting around the city. He'd dropped by her office once or twice, accompanied by Tenzin and sometimes by Avatar Korra and one of Tenzin's kids. Meelo, she thought his name was, although it could be something else. Anyway, she thought the kid was a bit bashful but otherwise okay.

And then, of course, there was Bumi.

Growing up, she knew Bumi only as a frequent target for Kya's waterbending and the instigator in most sibling pranks played against their more serious little brother. He had always been rowdy – the rowdiest. Even Lin wasn't spared from his shenanigans despite the fact that Lin was a surly little earthbender even then. Now, she discovered that the eldest of Katara's sons was still the same old Bumi – loud, unruly and a complete and utter lunatic. Half of the time, she could barely contain herself from slapping handcuffs around his wrists and putting him away to "ponder and reflect" on the more insane things that came out of his mouth. Instead, she just let out a long-suffering sigh while staring wistfully at a distance.

Maybe, if he wasn't Tenzin's brother. Or a commander of the United Forces. And maybe if he didn't insist so much on how fantastic she looked for a woman of fifty – _within_ earshot of only half of her officers in the entire force. Lin Beifong never blushed, but Bumi's irrepressible teasing was almost her undoing.

For all his blatant flirting, Lin never took him seriously. After all, this was Bumi, resident wild man and charm-bag of the United Forces, who probably had a lady or two waiting for him at every port. He'd never paid this much attention to her before. She wasn't sure how to react, except present him with her usual abrasive demeanor which always seemed to work on all her would-be suitors post-Tenzin. With Bumi, it seemed to slow him down only a little bit.

Then one night, he appeared outside her office and, with his usual grin, ribbed and teased her as he walked with her through the quiet, winding streets of the city. Being used to his antics by now, Lin found confidence to give as much as she got. And despite herself, she was having fun – so much in fact that she didn't notice when they'd ended up in the front steps of her home. He made some mocking comment about her deplorable lack of homemaking skills, prompting her to invite him in so he could see for himself just how far she'd improved in that department.

Why she did that, she never had been sure. A young girl's feelings bubbling to the surface, after all these years. She was not shy but not forward either. What she knew was that some people had an uncanny ability to bring out the unknown side to others.

For as long as she could remember, and because they lived parallel lives, him being the airbender son of Avatar Aang and her being the only daughter of Toph Beifong, Tenzin was that person for her. But ever since they broke up, she'd been feeling a disconnect, a void, made more pronounced by the fact that Tenzin, her bestfriend, her opposite, had moved on and left her behind. The knowledge almost broke her but she hardened her resolve, forced herself to look at her options and forge ahead without a moment's respite. Little did she know that this latter action, this very instinct for survival, had shriveled something up inside her and made the woman that was her hard and unyielding.

But now, strangely enough, and quite inexplicably, Bumi was slowly but steadily tearing down the walls she'd erected for herself.

"Lin?" His voice sounded deep and husky in the quiet of the night.

It was strange hearing her first name on his lips. The first time he did it, he'd come upon her unawares when she had been on the verge of tears. She buried her mother that day. Beifongs never cried. At least not in public. So she'd gone off by herself, away from Tenzin and his sorry attempt to appear strong for her, away from prying eyes, to think. In truth, to cry.

Bumi arrived at the worst possible moment. She remembered hating him for it. But Bumi never said anything and because he did not say anything, it was easy for her to ignore his presence and let the tears pour forth unhindered by self-consciousness or a false sense of pride. There was nothing to prove. This was Bumi, the boy who shamelessly bawled his eyes out in sympathy when Tenzin got his airbending tattoos, much to his younger brother's chagrin and Kya's endless amusement, and later cried silent tears when the White Lotus gathered the family together to inform them that they'd finally found the Avatar's latest reincarnation.

"What's wrong?" Bumi gently urged, cupping her elbow with a warm palm.

"Nothing. I'm just tired." She did not exactly lean into his steadying hand but she didn't stop him either when he moved to place an arm around her waist to draw her closer. His other hand lifted to rest against the juncture between her neck and shoulder. "Spirits, Beifong, you're tense," he swore under his breath as his hands worked on the tight muscles around her nape.

She did not reply. Instead, she tilted her head slightly to make room for his fingers.

"Do you really have to work so hard?" He asked. She hadn't realized how close he was. His mouth was almost touching the outer shell of her ear.

Lin closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them. As the stresses of the day slowly eased, she could feel the muscles in her face loosen. "You're really good with that, Sasquatch."

His mouth curved up at the old nickname. "That doesn't answer my question, you know." He regarded her with an amused look though his blue eyes were deep with concern.

She moved her shoulders, shrugging his hands off in the process. They dropped to his sides listlessly. "If it's not hard, then it's not work. Don't worry about me," she said in her usual brusque tone as she started walking ahead.

He followed her, his strides long and casual. "Can't seem to help it though."

Though his tone was nonchalant, his meaning was quite clear. Lin heard warning signals a mile away and she heeded them by quickening her steps, putting as much distance between him and her as she could. But Bumi was persistent and was able to match her stride for stride. Finally, she let out an exasperated, "Dammit, Bumi!"

He let out a short bark of laughter but his steps never let up.

"I mean it."

He laughed again. Her irritation was growing by degrees. They were proceeding in this manner when they entered the front gates of her home and reached the steps that led up to the main house.

On top of the stairs, lit by two lamps from behind, sat a shadow whose form she'd memorized a long time ago.

Lin drew to a halt. "T-Tenzin," she said and hated the fact that she stammered the name as though she was guilty.

"There you are." His stern, familiar voice reached out to her in the dark. "Hello, Lin. I've been waiting for you."

Lin stood there, frozen to the spot.

"Well, if it isn't my little brother!" Bumi's booming voice echoed in the empty garden.

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- TBC

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**AN** My second fanfic for this fandom and one featuring Linumi with hints of one-sided Linzin. Again this was first posted on my friend's tumblr since I don't have one myself (and no, I don't plan to have one any time soon). This is a multi-part story. The second chapter is coming up in a bit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Convergence**

**_by lawless_  
**

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**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Bryke is god.**

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Tenzin's visit was not without reason. Lin suspected as much. The man never did anything without reason. They were a lot the same in that way. He was there to try to talk her into accepting her old position back. What did not work at council meeting that morning might work if he spoke with her in the intimacy of her home. A heart-to-heart, so to speak, just the two of them – old friends, former lovers.

With a faint trace of annoyance, Lin thought it was just like Tenzin to forget all the bitterness and animosity that had characterized their relationship for years after the painful break-up. It was just like him to believe that she'd gotten over all the past hurts, that she'd forgotten what it felt like to have her entire world cave in from right under her.

The truth was, she thought she had. But she only had to watch as Pema passed the child Rohan over to Tenzin, who took his son in his arms, for Lin's heart to break just a little more. She'd watched, suddenly feeling alien and out of place, a stranger again in this person's life. She knew that he had changed, was even more serious than humanly possible, had children, was no longer infatuated with her, but it took seeing him with the little baby that was part of his family, actually descended from him, for her to realize, with a force so heavy she felt her breath leave her body, that he had moved on.

He probably hadn't thought of her in years. She was no longer important. She was just a side character in his life, a memory, a scar that faded with time, and he had moved on.

That Tenzin would think she'd move on just as easily, anchored as she was to the past, because of one selfless (later, they would call it "heroic") act of sacrifice. She supposed he'd taken it as proof of her forgiveness, her final act of surrender to their fate, when really she hadn't been thinking of anything at all. At least, nothing as lofty as that. She liked to think it was the rush of adrenaline, of something raw and earth-bound and real. No, she hadn't forgiven him, but now she understood. Now she saw. He was never hers to begin with, and her feet itched to carry her somewhere that she could not go.

For the moment, the position of Chief of the Metalbending Police belonged to Saikhan, but her former lieutenant had suffered some unpopularity for his association with Tarrlok. The demise of the former councilman had not caused the tides of hate to ebb one bit. Non-benders around the city were demanding that Saikhan, for his contributions to Tarrlok's oppressive rule, step down. Tenzin and the other remaining members of RepublicCity's Council hurriedly convened to address the issue as well as other pressing matters.

The solution was to restore Lin Beifong, now a ranking but still ordinary officer of the force (they'd given her a desk; they might as well have given her shackles), to her old post. Lin, however, had other ideas. Though she liked well enough the prospect of being back on active duty, she didn't like that the Council had to do it to pander to the masses. This was never what RepublicCity was about. RepublicCity wasn't a mob rule, which was what Amon and the Equalist had reduced it to. It was an idea, born out of the ashes of centuries of war and the Avatar's dreams of peace and reconciliation. It was a symbol. A vision.

"I'm not coming back if that is your only reason," Lin said with alacrity that surprised Tenzin mid-sentence.

The monk stared at her, mouth parted slightly. Then he seemingly recovered. "Won't you think about it at least?" He asked almost beggingly.

Lin harrumphed, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. Tenzin had this look, one that Lin could never completely ignore, even now. It was the same look he'd given her when he came to plead Korra's case when she'd detained the latter for public disturbance and property damage, the same one he'd also used when he'd asked her, quite audaciously Lin might add, to watch over his family while he went to attend an emergency council meeting.

She felt herself begin to give in until a movement from the corners of her eyes sharply reminded her that they were not alone. With a weary sigh, she waited for Bumi to say something inane as he was prone to do. But to her surprise, the elder of Katara's sons kept his mouth shut for once, content in only watching the two of them with hooded eyes. Finally, unable to take it anymore, having the two brothers stare at her like she held all the answers to their prayers, Lin threw her hands up in the air, as much an expression of her mounting irritation as a sign of her resignation.

"Fine," she said as gruffly as she could. She glared at Tenzin. "I'll think about it."

Tenzin merely nodded and stood up. If anything, that served only to increase Lin's annoyance for his having the gall to look like he didn't just win an argument with her. "All right, Lin," he said, his dignity intact. "I'll see you soon."

She watched him make his way to the exit where one of the servants held the door open for him. At the doorway, Tenzin paused, sliding a glance towards his brother who was still in his seat. "Coming, Bumi?"

With one last reproachful look at Lin (of which she did not comprehend the source of), Bumi pulled himself to his feet and strode towards the door.

That evening, sleep eluded Lin. She lay on her back, staring at shadows chasing each other across the ceiling. After some length, she gave up and sat on the edge of the bed. She lowered her feet to the floor and slipped on her dressing gown, tying the belt loosely around her waist as she padded across the room to the hallway outside. The servants would be all asleep at this time of night. She moved soundlessly through the halls and out the sliding back doors that opened to the great garden.

Lin sat down on the _rouka_.

In the twilight years of her life, Toph Beifong would often sit out here, feet dangling and barely touching the ground below her, staring at some unseen point in the distance, the slightest smile curving her lips. Lin always thought her mother in these times was relieving the adventures she had with the Avatar and his friends, maybe even the glories of winning a war when she was only eleven years old. However, as years passed and Lin grew older, wiser, she suspected that Toph seldom thought about the war at all.

Lin never knew her father. Her mother never told her his identity and she never felt the need to ask. But in that one moment of clarity, she'd wished she'd at least known what he looked like or what he was _like_. Then maybe she would understand her mother just a little.

Lin moved and lowered her feet to the edge of the _rouka_. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she bent down and slipped off her slippers. The grass felt wonderfully cool and clean and soothing beneath her feet.

Keeping within the shadows of the main house, she made her way towards the center of the garden. She heard a splash and turned in time to see a glitter of moonlight on silver scales just before the _koi_ fell back into the greenish, tepid water of the pond. In the inky blackness of the night, the house behind her stood large and massive, almost imposing in its grandeur. The windows were black as well, appearing like empty sockets. The bougainvillea vine that garnished one corner column of the _rouka_ was heavy with vivid blossoms.

A pang of homesickness and love seized Lin until it was painful to breathe. She braced herself against the chest-high stone fountain that decorated the center of the garden and stared at nothing. She had lived here most of her life. The walls of that house had heard her weeping and her laughter. The floorboards had borne her weight when she learned to crawl and when she learned to run. She'd watched her mother rearrange the garden with a flick of her wrist and received her first lesson in earthbending in these very grounds. Her life was wrapped around the house as surely as the bougainvillea was wrapped around the column. But somehow, the spirit, the heart of the house, eluded her tonight.

"Must be my age," Lin muttered to herself in self-deprecation. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd thought of her mother. Now, the old hagfish seemed to permeate her every waking thought. And how? And why?

She knew Bumi was there before he actually touched her. He moved up behind her, quiet as a bearded cat, belying her earlier accusation of him, and folded his hands around her neck. "What's bothering you tonight, Little Miss?"

He used her old nickname – the one she used to resent the most because it reminded her that she was a lot more like her vapid grandmother Poppy than Toph, brave companion to the Avatar. He was also overly familiar with her, but he was always that way. She couldn't remember a time when she'd allowed him this proximity. True, they were children together and had probably lain and eaten the same dirt, shared a few minor viruses, stuck their fingers in each other's noses, but, for the love of Aang, she was fifty years old. An old woman by anybody's standards. He should be appropriate with her, not familiar.

"You're a bastard."

"I'm not a bender but I'm pretty sure I'm my parents' child."

"I'm not referring to the circumstance of your birth. I'm referring to you. How you behave. How you treat other people."

"And the kettle keeps calling the pot black."

She made an impatient gesture with her shoulders. "What are you doing here, Bumi?"

"I thought I'd take a walk," he said with brazen casualness.

"In my garden? At this time of the night?" Lin nearly exploded.

"Next thing you'll say I'm technically trespassing."

"Because you are!" This time, Lin really did explode.

"Quiet, Beifong," he shushed her. "You're going to wake the servants and then what are they going to say about an old woman like you having a clandestine meeting with a man at night."

Lin was getting riled again but Bumi's thumbs were centering themselves at the back of her neck, massaging the tension out of the vertebrae. Against her wishes, Lin felt her body relax.

"I know what you're trying to do," she said between gritted teeth.

"What am I trying to do, Lin?" He asked. His voice still sounded half-amused, half-mocking.

"Tenzin sent you, didn't he?"

His hands paused in their movement. "Now, why would you think that?"

"Because he can't keep well enough alone. I said I was going to think about it."

Bumi said nothing, but his strong fingers continued to knead away her tension and distress. The massage loosened her tongue as well.

"I lied and he knew it so he sent you instead. And you're supposed to convince me. Since he's noticed we've been getting chummy. What the hell did you tell him anyway, Sasquatch? And whatever you say, I'm not going to change my mind."

He started to say something then but she interrupted him. "No. I am not going to become Chief again just so Tenzin and the rest of them Councilmen pansies can gratify the fleeting wants of the fickle masses."

"So that's the real reason?"

Slowly, Lin turned around and Bumi let her, his hands falling to his sides. His face looked harsh in the moonlight. All shadows and sharp angles and lines of age. His hair was wild, not yet completely grey but salted here and there. Only his eyes remained the same – brilliant blue, like Katara's, and if she looked close enough and long enough into their ocean depths, she might find something she wasn't ready for.

"What other reason is there?" She was confused.

Bumi let out a harsh breath, running his hands through his hair, leaving them even more ruffled than before. "Oh, nothing. I just –"

Whatever he was going to say, he appeared to change his mind, because the next thing he said was, "Well, if you really think that, then you don't know me at all. First of all," he held out a hand before she could utter a follow-up question, "I've never done what I was supposed to, Beifong. Case in point, when I was born, I was supposed to be an airbender or a waterbender."

He thumped his chest proudly. "Non-bender. Second, everybody knows you don't change your mind, Lin. It's just not in your nature. And if you do, it only means you never made up your mind in the first place and you just blurted out the first thing that came to your head when asked. And third, I didn't say anything but Tenzin asked and, being the honest man that I am, I told him, in all honesty, that my intentions with you are completely dishonorable and that I intend to make you my own personal bed slave before my shore leave is over."

Lin felt her jaw drop open. She was still scrambling to recollect herself when Bumi dropped the next bomb. "Not surprisingly, when I admitted this – in the spirit of honesty and candor, mind you (it's part of our military oath) – my little brother threw me out of Air Temple Island. So as it stands, I am now currently homeless, which explains why I'm here in your lovely garden this fine, wonderful evening. Which brings me to a most important question: may I stay the night, Lady Beifong?"

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- TBC

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**AN** I actually enjoyed this.


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